Search Results for: Fire

Man sentenced to 75 years for setting wife on fire after argument

North Little Rock, AR

Bruce Lee Cockrell, 48, was sentenced on Thursday to 75 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder and arson. The plea is related to the death of his wife, Tonya Marie Liggin-Cockrell, 35, on July 9 after an altercation.

Court documents revealed that during an argument on July 8, Cockrell doused his wife with weed eater gas. Initial reports indicated that he claimed faulty electrical work was the cause of the fire.

First responders found Liggin-Cockrell alive but severely burned, and she identified Cockrell as her attacker. Following the incident, investigators discovered a jug of weed eater gas in the home, further implicating him.

While in custody, Cockrell admitted to police that an argument had escalated, resulting in him pouring gasoline on his wife as she sat by their bed. He claimed Liggin-Cockrell then lit a cigarette, which ignited the flames.

Liggin-Cockrell was transported to a burn unit but succumbed to her injuries a day later. Cockrell’s charges included capital murder and arson, culminating in a sentence of 45 years for murder and 30 years for arson, to be served consecutively.

South Carolina man pleads guilty to murder of girlfriend and sets her body on fire

Denmark, SC Jarrett Haskell Davis, 28, pleaded guilty on Monday to the murder of his girlfriend Megan Bodiford, 25. He also admitted to charges of possession of a weapon during a violent crime, third-degree arson, and desecration of human remains.

Davis received a sentence of 43 years in prison for the murder, with additional time added for the other charges. Bodiford was reported missing on or around April 25, when she was last seen in Denmark, approximately 60 miles south of Columbia.

Before her disappearance, Bodiford sent a text to a friend stating, “If you don’t hear from me in 30 minutes, he killed me.” That message included a warning that Davis had a gun.

Bodiford had a four-month-old baby and was experiencing domestic issues in her relationship with Davis, according to her family. Friends noted her reaching out for help prior to her death.

Davis was apprehended after police located a burned-out car containing Bodiford’s remains about two miles from her residence.

Bodiford’s family expressed frustration with law enforcement, claiming that Davis had a domestic violence arrest warrant at the time. They believe that his prior arrest could have prevented Bodiford’s murder.

Bodiford was a mother to three daughters, ages 7, 4, and 4 months. Family members wished to remember her as a caring mother and a beloved friend.